Fear Not (Sermon 3 Of 3) Series

CHRISTMAS 2024: FEAR NOT

LUKE 2:8-11, 1 JOHN 4:7-19

# fearnot”

INTRODUCTION… Distractions of Christmas (p)

Christmas songs are favorites for a lot of people when it comes to holiday-type music. “Christmas music” is so important it is its own genre. Christmas songs get us in the mood for Christmas which is why it is so important. Christmas is that time of year where we focus on the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. In my opinion, the best Christmas songs focus us on Jesus and keep our attention on Jesus. It is easy to get distracted away from Jesus at Christmas and lose focus.

There are several reasons why someone might struggle to get into the Christmas spirit and lose focus on Christ:

#1 Personal loss: The holidays can be especially difficult for those who have lost loved ones. The absence of a family member or friend can make it hard to feel the usual joy or excitement associated with Christmas.

#2 Stress: The holiday season can come with a lot of pressures—financial strain from buying gifts, the stress of hosting events, and the general busyness of the season. This can lead to burnout, making it harder to enjoy the festivities.

#3 Mental Health Issues: Conditions such as depression, anxiety, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can affect someone's mood, making it difficult for them to feel the holiday cheer. The holidays might even worsen symptoms due to social pressure or the contrast between personal feelings and societal expectations of happiness.

#4 Financial difficulties: The pressure to buy gifts, decorate, and host holiday events can add financial strain, which may make people feel anxious or resentful, rather than joyful, about the holiday season.

#5 Expectations vs. Reality: Sometimes, the idealized version of Christmas portrayed in media or in our minds doesn't match the reality of someone's situation and this creates feelings of disappointment rather than joy.

#6 Over-commercialization: Some people feel disconnected from the true spirit of Christmas because of the commercial aspect of the holiday. The focus on buying and gifts can overshadow the true meaning of Christmas which is the focus on Christ.

#7 Health issues: Physical health problems, fatigue, or illness can make it difficult to enjoy the holiday season, especially if someone is feeling unwell or dealing with chronic conditions.

For all these reasons and probably for some I haven’t even thought of, Christmas can be a difficult time to focus on what matters the most: Jesus. Christmas music is one of the ways that a lot of people refocus and tune their heart into the birth of Jesus Christ.

ILLUSTRATION… Christmas Hymns (p) openthebible.org/article/25-christmas-hymns-and-worship-songs & hipchristmas.com/lists/songs/index.php [adapted]

There are good Christmas songs out there. For example:

“Angels We Have Heard On High” (1862) is a song all about angels announcing the birth of Jesus.

“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” (1745) literally has His Name in the title.

“For Unto Us A Child is Born” (1741) keeps our attention on the Christ-Child.

“Go Tell It On the Mountain” (1907) is all about telling “that Jesus Christ is born.”

“Good Christian Men Rejoice” (1853) is about praising that “Jesus is Born today.”

“Joy to the World” (1719) is about “the Lord is come.”

Again, the best Christmas songs focus us on Jesus and keep our attention on Him:

“You’re A Mean One, Mr Grinch” (1965) is all about King Herod’s attempts to kill the Baby Jesus.

“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” (1965) is about how the Wise Men were led to the Baby Jesus.

“Baby Its Cold Outside” (1948) is a sweet song of the new mother Mary whispering to Baby Jesus.

“Merry Christmas Baby” (1964) is the Beach Boys hit song about Jesus’ birthday.

“Marshmallow World” (1996) is all about the need the icky sticky world has for the Baby Jesus.

Songs can help us focus in the Christmas season because sometimes it is difficult to get into the mood for gift giving, singing, parties, wrapping presents, extra church services, and all the other trimmings of this time of year. Music can help us focus on the birth of Jesus.

Oddly enough, our focus for the last few weeks has been “fear” as it relates to the birth of Jesus. Last week, we talked about the fear that may result because of the knowledge of the identity of the Baby born: Savior, Christ, and Lord. Deciding what we believe about Jesus and accepting Him is a heavy-duty decision that may have some fear with it. Two weeks ago, we talked about the fear that the shepherds experienced on the night of Jesus’ birth because the angel and the heavenly host broke into the night sky with the glory of God shining around them. That fear is understandable as angels are spiritual beings that produce shock and awe in physical beings and trip the fight or flight response in us when we see one. Fear. Fear. And this week “fear” again.